The need for sustained and enhanced international research efforts on zooplankton production

Abstract The 7th International Zooplankton Production Symposium was held in Hobart, Australia in March, 2024 with the theme ‘New Horizons’, chosen to reflect the current perception that oceans are now experiencing greater human impacts than ever before, and to explore how zooplankton are impacted. Since zooplankton have a pivotal role as grazers of primary production and as prey for higher trophic levels, including both harvested fish species and marine mammals and seabirds, it is more important than ever to understand how zooplankton are responding to changes in marine ecosystems. Here, we provide an introduction to the special issue of papers resulting from the symposium, with details on the conference itself, the workshops and sessions convened and the main outcomes that the individual papers in this issue have contributed to. Several themes recurred through the week; new sampling techniques and the challenges of using both traditional and new methodologies, including digital data and the large datasets generated. There are still under-sampled and under-studied regions and taxa, creating knowledge gaps that complicate a full understanding, especially while there are numerous threats and stressors on zooplankton communities through pollution and climate change. Nevertheless, significant efforts continue to be made to advance the state of knowledge and the Zooplankton Production Symposia community is active, engaged and now looking forward to the eighth Symposium.